


Lionheart

by Skylark, Swiftling (Skylark)



Series: SASO 2015 [12]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Anxiety, Crushes, F/F, Fluff, Getting Together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-08
Updated: 2015-12-08
Packaged: 2018-05-05 16:42:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5382770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skylark/pseuds/Skylark, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skylark/pseuds/Swiftling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>I want to ruin our friendship, we should be lovers instead.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lionheart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [capsoumako](https://archiveofourown.org/users/capsoumako/gifts).



> [Original Prompt Mixtape:](https://sportsanime.dreamwidth.org/4771.html?thread=1756067#cmt1756067) "Jenny" by Studio Killers, "Falling for You" by Colbie Caillat, "She Keeps Me Warm" by Mary Lambert.

There's no other way to say this: Kiyoko is the most beautiful person Yachi has ever seen.

She's always known, well. You know. She likes boys too but it's not the same, they don't have the same magnetic draw that girls do, they don't make her lose her train of thought when they run their fingers across their lower lip or tuck a strand of hair behind their ear.

"...Yachi?" Kiyoko asks, and only then does she realize she's been staring.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Kiyoko-san, I- I just—" she looks around frantically for an excuse; then she looks down and realizes she's still holding an armful of volleyballs. "I'll just go put these away!" she squeaks, and spins away to trot towards the equipment closet.

She leaves the safety of the room only when she's sure her face isn't red and her breathing is even and steady—and when she's handed the wide broom off to Hinata so he can sweep the floor, and helped Sugawara finish taking inventory to make sure everything's put away in its proper place. It takes a while. Yachi doesn't know whether she's more hopeful that Kiyoko will have waited for her, or that she hasn't wasted her time and has already gone home.

Sugawara pauses as he leaves, one hand on the doorframe. Yachi meets his measuring stare for a moment before she glances down.

"Did you forget something, Suga-senpai?" she asks meekly.

Sugawara shakes his head. The smile he gives her is half-amused, half-wistful. "Good luck," is all he says before he leaves. Yachi tries to pretend she doesn't know what he's talking about and fails.

By the time she's ready to go the gym is empty, except for the lone figure in black idling against the wall.

"Oh," Yachi whispers with quiet dismay. She clears her throat before she continues, "Were you waiting for me?"

Kiyoko nods, and lifts a ring full of keys. "I'm the one in charge of locking up today."

Yachi then realizes she's _made_ Kiyoko wait for her. She swoops into a deep bow, stammering, "I'm sorry for delaying you!"

"You don't have to apologize," Kiyoko murmurs, and Yachi startles at the soft touch on her shoulder. She glances up and Kiyoko's gaze is tinged with amusement. "I would have waited to walk home with you anyway."

Kiyoko's long fingers lift from her shoulder and move away, her hand graceful as it falls back to her side. Yachi's shoulder tingles where she was touched.

"Why?" Yachi says.

Kiyoko shrugs. "I wanted to," she says. "Did you have other plans?"

Yachi shakes her head furiously. Even if she did, she would have canceled them.

\--

The sun is setting when they leave the gym, but the lingering heat of the afternoon is still oppressive. Yachi winces, brushing at the back of her neck. 

Kiyoko notices her look of irritation and turns, wordlessly curious. "It's gotten too long," Yachi explains, fiddling with a strand of hair to illustrate her point. "I should cut it again, it gets so hot and it's not even summer yet. I can't even imagine what it's like in Tokyo right now."

Kiyoko turns away and digs through the pockets of her bag, then pulls out a small hair tie. Yachi stares for a moment before realization dawns.

"It's okay if I use it?" she asks, even though it's redundant.

"I have extras," Kiyoko replies. "It's no trouble."

"Thank you! Um, I'll give it back," Yachi says, though Kiyoko is already looking away.

The rest of the walk is serene. Yachi sneaks sideways glances and Kiyoko does her the courtesy of not acknowledging them. When Yachi looks down, her eye is drawn to the way their hands swing at their sides, only inches apart. If she were a little braver—if she could just reach out—

Her fingers have halfway crossed the distance before she quails. Instead, she reaches up to touch the simple blue hairband that ties her hair back close to her nape, and feels a warmth under her skin that has nothing to do with the weather.

\--

"Thank you for walking me home, Kiyoko-san," she says, bowing. When she straightens Kiyoko is giving her a small, genuine smile.

"See you tomorrow," she says.

"Get home safely!" Yachi says, waving until Kiyoko is out of sight.

Kiyoko seems to have forgotten about the hair tie. Yachi slips it free, staring at the small oval in the center of her cupped palms. When she reaches her bedroom it joins a small collection of treasures: a half-used pen; a bobby pin; a piece of paper half-filled with the team's old training regimen, all written in Kiyoko's neat cursive.

\--

Walking home with Kiyoko becomes a habit. Sometimes they walk through a nearby park, admiring the duck pond and springtime flowers; sometimes they stop on rainy days to get tea and cake in Yachi's favorite bakery; sometimes they stop by a bookstore and exchange recommendations. It's a month and a half before Yachi realizes that they're basically _dating._ But that's impossible, she scolds herself, she can't be so presumptuous.

A month after that, Kiyoko smiles at her when they're standing at the door to Yachi's apartment complex.

"What is it?" Yachi asks. "Did I—is something on my face?"

"I was hoping you'd keep it," Kiyoko says, and reaches out. Her hand touches Yachi's hairtie—blue, the one Kiyoko loaned her ages ago—and then smooths down, stroking over her hair in a feather-light brush. "I thought the blue would look nice on you."

Yachi blinks, flushing red.

"I was right," Kiyoko says, smiling. "It suits you. I'm glad."

This is just too much. Before she can stop herself, she's rising on tiptoe to press a poorly-aimed kiss just left of Kiyoko's mouth. 

She swallows, pulling back, and says, "I'm sorry, I—"

Then Kiyoko is leaning down to kiss her back, and Yachi is relieved because she didn't have anything else to say and Kiyoko's mouth is as soft as it looked, maybe softer, and this close she can smell the shampoo Kiyoko uses and oh, my god, is this really happening—

Kiyoko's hands are firm on Yachi's upper arms when she pulls away, making sure that Yachi's knees don't give out. "You're adorable," Kiyoko whispers. Yachi makes an incoherent warble in response.

"I-I've fallen for you," Yachi stammers, when she can get words out. "Is that all right?"

Kiyoko kisses her in answer, and when Yachi's legs really do give out she simply lifts her up and sets her back on her feet again.


End file.
